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UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000511 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT:  PAKISTAN MEDIA REACTION: MARCH 10, 2009 
 
Summary:  No newspaper was published today (Wednesday) on account of 
a local holiday yesterday which celebrates the birthday of the 
Prophet Mohammad.  This Media Reaction Cable is based on newspapers 
published on March 10, 2009.  Prime Minister's Advisor on Interior 
Malik's remarks accusing "Nawaz Sharif of committing sedition by 
giving a call for revolt against the government" dominated headlines 
in several major dailies.  All newspapers also front-paged Nawaz 
Sharif's statement that "some people like President Zardari were 
busy conspiring against assemblies and removing representative 
governments."  Newspapers reported that "Pakistani security forces 
killed 35 militants in Darra Adam Khel."  Several dailies 
highlighted report that the "Mamond tribe gave an undertaking to the 
government to end militancy." 
 
Yesterday major dailies editorialized various subjects ranging from 
the negotiations with Taliban, ongoing war on terror, current 
political standoff to the possible military.  The prestigious 
English daily, "Dawn," observed that "there should be no deal from a 
position of weakness, and that peace should not mean a license for 
the Taliban to establish virtually autonomous regions."  Commenting 
on the "Nizam-e-Adl" in Swat, the centrist national daily, "The 
News," noted that the "ushering in of a separate code of law there 
of course sets up a dangerous precedent which will only aggravate 
the difficulties."  The mass circulation daily, "Jang," opined that 
"it is commendable that President Obama has hinted at initiating 
dialogue process with the moderate Taliban in Afghanistan and 
Pakistan."  End Summary. 
 
----------------- 
News Stories 
----------------- 
 
"Nawaz Accused Of Committing Sedition" "Dawn" (03/10) 
 
"The Adviser to the Prime Minister on the Interior, Rehman Malik, 
has accused Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Nawaz Sharif of 
committing sedition by giving a call for revolt against the 
government.  Mr. Malik threatened Nawaz Sharif and former Punjab 
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif that an FIR would be lodged against 
them in case of any loss of life and property during the lawyers' 
long march." 
 
"Asif Speaks With A Forked Tongue: Nawaz" "The News" (03/10) 
 
"PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif on Monday said they could only realize the 
aim of a prosperous Pakistan through a revolution and the people 
seemed ready to change the country's fate as some other people like 
President Asif Zardari were busy conspiring against the assemblies 
and removing representative governments." 
 
"Zardari's Gamble In Critical Phase" "Dawn" (03/10) 
 
"President Asif Ali Zardari seemed to be coming under renewed 
pressure from political friends and foes alike against the backdrop 
of fast-paced political developments on Monday." 
 
"Zardari Trying To Buy Time" "The News" (03/10) 
 
"President Asif Ali Zardari is said to have quietly made a new offer 
to the Sharif brothers to wait for the detailed judgment of the 
Supreme Court in their disqualification case and then he would send 
a reference to the apex court seeking reversal of the decision, a 
top-level source confirmed to 'The News.'" 
 
"Foreign Envoys Active To Defuse Political Tension; Ambassadors Meet 
Zardari, Gilani, Sharif Brothers To Mediate Between Rival Parties" 
"Daily Times" (03/10) 
 
"Diplomats of leading western countries are deeply concerned over 
the recent political instability in Punjab and have initiated 
separate moves to mediate between the rival parties, sources told 
'Daily Times' on Monday.  Envoys of the U.S., the U.K. and Australia 
had a number of 'on-the-record and off-the-record' meetings with 
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and 
the Sharif brothers on Monday.  U.S. Ambassador Anne W. Patterson 
met Prime Minister Gilani and Shahbaz Sharif.  'The ambassador 
discussed the Pakistan-U.S. bilateral relations, the forthcoming 
Friends of Pakistan meeting in Tokyo as well as matters of mutual 
interest,' a statement from the Prime Minister's House said." 
"Kayani Warns Zardari Against Unrest" "Business Recorder" (03/10) 
 
"India's 'TimesNow' has claimed that Pakistan's army chief General 
Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani, who has so far kept a low profile, has asked 
President Asif Ali Zardari to 'clean up the mess' soon.  Quoting 
'well-placed military sources in Islamabad,' 'TimesNow' also claimed 
that Kiyani has been asked by the United States to bring 'some 
order' in the region." 
 
"Army Has To Do Something: Musharraf" "Dawn" (03/10) 
 
"Former President Gen. (R) Pervez Musharraf on Monday stopped short 
of urging the military establishment in the country to take matters 
into its own hands, but warned that when internal and external 
threats became too acute the army had to do something 'one way or 
another.'" 
 
"Major Crackdown Planned To Head Off Long March" "The News" (03/10) 
 
"The government is contemplating a major crackdown on political 
opponents on Friday (March 13) as part of an aggressive strategy 
that includes the option of putting under house arrest Mian Nawaz 
Sharif, Mian Shahbaz Sharif and other top leadership of PML-N, 
Jamaat-e-Islami, Tehrik-e-Insaf and other opposition parties as well 
as the lawyers fraternity to pre-empt massive participation of 
people in the lawyers' long march." 
 
"Rawalpindi, Capital TO Be Sealed Off" "Dawn" (03/10) 
 
"The government has decided to seal of the twin cities ahead of the 
next week's long march, while the capital police have prepared a 
list of political leaders, who are likely to be arrested to 
forestall a fierce political showdown, 'Dawn' has learned." 
 
"Troops Kill 35 Militants In Darra Adam Khel" "Dawn" (03/10) 
 
"Pakistani security forces killed at least 35 militants in Darra 
Adam Khel after a two-day military operation, a senior security 
official said on Tuesday.  'Several militant hideouts and their 
training facilities were destroyed during the operation,' the 
official said." 
 
"Bajaur Tribe Pledges To End Militancy, Respect Government Writ" 
"Dawn" (03/10) 
 
"A major tribe straddling the Pak-Afghan border in the restive 
Bajaur tribal region on Monday gave an undertaking to the government 
to end militancy, refuse shelter to foreign militants and respect 
state authority.  Mamond, the largest and most strategically placed 
tribe in Bajaur, signed a comprehensive 28-point undertaking to 
surrender key figures of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan in Bajaur, 
lay down arms, disband militant groups and stop militant training 
camps." 
 
"Taliban Kill Three U.S. 'Spies': Security Official" "The News" 
(03/10) 
 
"Taliban militants gunned down three men in Pakistan's restive 
northwest tribal belt after filming them confessing to spying for 
the United States, officials said on Monday." 
 
"Counter-Terror Naval Drill In Second Phase" "Dawn" (03/10) 
 
"An international peace-keeping and counter-terror naval exercise in 
the Arabina Sea entered the second phase on Monday." 
 
"Zardari Leaves For Iran Today To Attend ECO Moot" "The News" 
(03/10) 
 
"President Asif Zardari is all set to leave on a two-day visit to 
Tehran on Tuesday during which he will hold talks with Iranian 
leaders on a host of bilateral issues and also attend the Economic 
Cooperation Organisation (ECO) Summit." 
 
"Zardari, Karzai, Ahmadinejad Hold Trilateral Talks" "Dawn" (03/10) 
 
"President Asif Ali Zardari, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and 
Iranian President Mehmood Ahmadinejad had a trilateral meeting in 
Tehran on Tuesday on the sidelines of the 10th Economic Coordination 
Organisation summit meeting.  During the meeting, the leaders of the 
three neighborly countries discussed issues of mutual interest and 
concern including the security situation in the region." 
 
"LHC Extends Hafiz Saeed's Detention For 60 Days" "The News" 
(03/10) 
 
"A review board of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday extended 
the detention of the Chief of the Jamaat-ud-Daawa (JuD), Hafiz 
Saeed, and three other of its top figures for 60 days while 
releasing two leaders." 
 
--------------------- 
Editorials/Op-eds 
--------------------- 
 
"Obama's Approach," an editorial in the Karachi-based center-left 
independent national English daily "Dawn" (cir. 55,000) (03/10) 
 
"Until recently, Pakistan was being harshly criticized by the 
American government and media for talking to the militants.  The 
Americans were right up to a point, for one has to admit Islamabad's 
own mistakes in the war on terror....  What Pakistan and America 
must both remember is that there should be no deal from a position 
of weakness, and that peace should not mean a license for the 
Taliban to establish virtually autonomous regions where they enforce 
their own concept of religion which violates basic norms of 
civilized behavior." 
 
"Afghan Dispute: Decision To Open The Door To Reconciliation," an 
editorial in the center-right Urdu daily "Pakistan" (cir. 10,000) 
(03/10) 
 
"According to a New York Times report, President Obama has decided 
to open the door to reconciliation in Afghanistan....  Taliban 
should also bring some flexibility in their stance so that 
occupation forces do not have justification to remain in the 
country.  The Taliban must also move forward to end the Afghan war. 
This long drawn out war has produced nothing but blood and tears." 
 
 
"Life And Law," an editorial in the centrist national English daily 
"The News" (cir. 55,000) (03/10) 
 
"The Chief Minister of NWFP has signed the 'Nizam-e-Adl' regulation, 
which will now be forwarded to the Governor of the Province so that 
it can be formally enforced in Swat....  We need to create a 
situation where every citizen can live under a uniform code of law. 
The multiple dichotomies in the rights and liberties available to 
people must end.  Their existence has created chaos.  The sense of 
national unity and harmony we so badly need is possible only if 
people are brought closer together, made subject to the same laws 
and treated as equals who enjoy an access to the same justice.... 
The ushering in of a separate code of law there of course also sets 
up a dangerous precedent which will only aggravate the difficulties 
we already face on this front." 
 
"Indication To Negotiate With Taliban," an editorial note in the 
leading mass circulation centrist Urdu daily "Jang" (cir. 300,000) 
(03/10) 
 
"It is commendable that President Obama has hinted at initiating 
dialogue process with the moderate Taliban in Afghanistan and 
Pakistan. Surprisingly, Americans had always opposed the Government 
of Pakistan's moves to engage Taliban in dialogues and peace deals 
and throughout these parleys, the U.S. always enhanced its attacks. 
Notwithstanding, the U.S. must not delay talks with Taliban, and 
handover all powers to the people of Afghanistan after 
negotiations." 
 
"Swat And Saving Pakistan," an op-ed by Zafar Hilaly in the centrist 
national English daily "The News" (cir. 55,000) (03/10) 
 
"It now appears that the Taliban were bought off by the government 
for a sum ranging between $6 and $10 million.  What was essentially 
a bribe was labeled as compensation for losses and damage suffered 
during the fighting.  On the other hand the destruction, executions, 
rape and pillage wrought by the insurgents have been condoned; so 
too the continuing abductions of district officials and military 
personnel.  It seems that if the insurgents wish to talk to an 
official, the latter has no option but to either present himself or 
be abducted.  Even military patrols have to obtain the prior 
clearance of the Taliban before setting out.  Nowhere else in the 
world does a national army have to obtain the permission of outlaws 
to patrol their own territory." 
 
"If The Army Is Compelled To Step In," an editorial in the 
Lahore-based liberal English language daily "Daily Times" (cir. 
10,000) (03/10) 
 
"The army is incapable of providing any political solutions as we 
have learnt from our bitter experience time and again.  But if this 
does come to pass, this time too the politicians would be to 
blame....  If the army steps in, the PML-N may think that this will 
realize its hidden desire for mid-term elections.  But given the 
genuinely abnormal conditions prevailing in the country - complete 
with many 'failed state' symptoms - that won't happen; or it may 
happen but with long-term damage to the prospects of both parties. 
The game will go to the terrorists, after which the world might step 
in, leaning on the desperate military measures that Pakistan has 
been warding off so far." 
 
"Internal Shminternal! What's Mine Is Yours," an op-ed by Mosharraf 
Zaidi in the centrist national English daily "The News" (cir. 
55,000) (03/10) 
 
"The firing of Shahbaz Sharif, and the imposition of Governor's Raj 
in Punjab is not 'an internal matter for Pakistan.'  Not when 
American engineers are playing Missile Command in Jalalabad, as they 
navigate Predator drones, and drop bombs on Pakistan, with their 
remote-control joysticks.  Once you penetrate something the way 
those drones have penetrated Pakistan, you are internal to Pakistan. 
 Therefore, Pakistan's internal matters are America's matters.  The 
most gripping, most urgent, and most dangerous matter for American 
foreign policy is the continued free fall of Pakistan from a country 
that can fake it well, to a country that can't tell what time of day 
it is." 
Patterson